Shimmed rail joint



April 4, 1931.

Patented A r. -14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARKS ON A. DISBROW, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK,- A.SSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF N YORK SHIMMED RAIL JOINT I y This invention relates to rail joints, and has particular reference to improvements in rail joints ofv the type'in which the joint bar is supported at its ends upon the-rail bases and has head clearance at its ends from the rail heads, and which medially afiords sup-- port from the rail heads at the ends thereof.

According to prior practice, the joint bars of rail joints of the foregoing type have been formed for direct 4 contact with the rails.

Due, therefore, tothe necessarily irregular height and section of the prior bars, the

same cannot convenientlyor economicallybe rolled, but must either be forged or cast. Ac-

5 cordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a rail joint struc- -ture of the type mentioned in which the joint bar is, or may be, of uniform height and section throughout its length to permit the same to be economically rolled.

Also, according to the'prior practice of forming the joint bars of irregular,hei ht and section for direct contact with the ra ls, any given prior. baris adapted to fit and to 55 be used-only with rails having a single definitefishing height; and, moreover, no provision is made to permit efl'icient use of a prior bar in instances where wear has occurred onv the undersides of the rail heads at the ends thereof. Accordingly, another important-object of the present invention is to provide a rail joint structure of the type mentioned in which the joint bar is adapted for use with rails having diiferent fishing heights, and in which provision is made to afl'ord eflicient support not only for the ends of new rail,

but also for the ends of used rails in instances.

of the rail heads at their ends.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rail joint ofthecharacter men tioned in which thejoint bar possesses long life and in which the parts of the joint which are subjected to material wear may be rewhere wear has" occurred on the undersides' placed at relatively slight expense, thereby .to render thejoint especially desirable fronf' an economical maintenance standpoin With the foregoing and other objects in view,'which will become more fully a parent as the nature of the invention is 'etter or may Application filed September 10, 1930. Serial No. 481,022. I

'understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangment of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described,illustrated in the accompanying'drawings and defined in the appended claims. a

"In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the difi'erent views Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a rail joint constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the joint bar shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line- 7 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a rail joint iconstructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the medial shim shown in Fig. 8; and

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figs. 1, 4 and 8 of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

In'the illustration of each different form of the invention, the rails are designated as R, B, respectively, and the joint bar as B, the rails havingthe usual head fishing surfaces 10 on the undersides of their heads 11 and base fishing surfaces 12 on the upper sides of their base flanges 13, and the joint bar having head and base fishing surfaces 14 and 15, respectively, also as 'is usual.

According to the embodiment of the in-- vention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the joint bar B, which may be of any suitable cross-sectional shape, and which is, be, of uniform-height and section throughout its-length, so as to be capable of being rolled economically and with facility,

is rolled or otherwise formed to have a fishof the rails to which it is to be applied. Said bar is straight both horizontally and vertically, and at its ends, between the lower or base fishing surface 15 thereof and the lower or base fishing surfaces 12 of the railsR, R, are interposed shims 16, 16, respectively, whereby the bar is supported at its ends upon the base flanges of the rails with its upper or headfishing surface 14 spaced from the head fishing surfaces 10 of the rails. In addition, a shim 17 is interposed betweenthe medial portion of the head fishing surface 14 of the bar and the head fishing surfaces of the rails at the ends of the latter, this shim being of a sufficient-length to extend outward a suitable distance from the end'of each rail to afford a firm support for the rail ends, but at the same time being of a length suitably less than the length of the joint bar so that the latter has head clearance at its ends from theundersidesof the rail heads. Furthermore, a shim 18, which may be formed separately from the shim 17 or integral therewith, as

shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is interposed between the base fishing surface.15 of the bar, medially thereof,and the base fishingsurfaces 12 of the rails, this shim, like the shim 17, being of a sufiicient length to.

extend outward a suitable distance from the end of each rail, but of a length suitably less than the length of the joint bar so that clearance spaces exist between the ends of said shim and the inner ends of the shims 16, 16, respectively.

Thus, in view of the foregoing, it is manifest that the present rail joint not only possesses all of the advantages of the prior rail joint heretofore mentioned, wherein the joint bar is formed to have head clearance at its ends from the undersides of the rail heads and direct contact medially with the heads of the rails and at its ends with the rail flanges, but that the present railjoint is particularly simple and economical to produce, and to maintain, inasmuch as the joint bar B may readily be rolled, and inasmuch as practically all wear takes place on the shims, which may be replaced whenever necessary at relatively low cost. Moreover, by reason of the present construction, shims of different thickness may be employed either to adapt a single joint bar B for usewith rails'having different fishing heights, or to compensate for any wear which may take place on the fishing surfaces of the rails or on the joint bar.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in'Figs. 4 to 7 of the drawings, it will be observed that the construction is substantially the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, except that the joint bar B has its ends bowed normally outward as indicated at b, b, in Fig. 5, whereby ample clearance is afforded at all times between the inner face of the joint bar at its ends and the" webs of the rails to permit the ends of the joint bar to be drawn inwardly after the medial shims 17 and 18 have been seated and the joint has been tightened thereby to store energy in the bar to maintain the joint tight. Due to the angularity of the base fishing surfaces of the rails andthe joint bar, and to bowing the ends of the joint bar outwardly while maintaining the top and bottom surfaces of the bar in'the same horizontal planes,- respectively, which is desirable from a stand point of simplicity and economy in production, the distance between the base fishing surfaces of the rails and the joint bar is greater at the ends of the bar than at the middle thereof. Accordingly, in instances where the ends of the joint bar are bowedoutward, the shims 16, 16 'interposed between the ends of the joint bar and the base flanges of the rails are formed thicker than the shim 18*, as -best shown in Fig. 6', to afford a bearing for the ends of the joint bar farther down orout on the rail base flanges than in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, wherein thejoint bar is straight and the distance between the base fishing surfaces of the rails and the joint bar is uniform throughout 1 joint bar B may either be straight, as in the embodiment of the invention first shown and described, or bowed as in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7, the essential difference in this'embodiment of the invention, as distinguished from the embod1- ments of the invention-illustrated in Flgs. 1 to 7, residing in dividing the base shn'n 18 either by slotting said shim as best illustrated at 19 in Fig. 9, or by forming said shim in two separate sections, to provide a clearance space at the middle of the joint betweenthe base fishing surfaceof the joint bar and the rail flanges for the purpose of allowing the wave motion of the rails to pass through the joint and to elfect'loading of the ra1l bases'at points spaced from the ends of the rails where the rail bases are better adapted to support loads than at their extreme ends.

The invention also contemplates the use of the shims in .a manner to provide rail flange clearance from the bar at the center .of the joint to ease the passing of the rail wave motion through the joint. Thatmay beaccomplished as shown in Fig. 10 by omitting the.

central base flange shim'18, 18 or 18 -as the case may be, and using the center of the joint only on upper shim member 17 combined with the end shims'16. 1 j

Withoutfurther descriptionit is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it-will ofcourse be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be 50 tween the ends of the joint bar and the rail 'of the joint bar and the base flanges of the rails, and a shim of less length than the oint bar interposed between the medial portion of the head of the bar and the undersides of the i rail heads at the ends thereof.

' 2. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar of uniform height throughout its length, and means whereby said bar is supported at its ends upon the rail flanges and wherebythe bar medially supports the rail heads at the ends ofthe latter, said bar having head clearance at its ends from the undersides of the rail heads.

3. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar of v I less fishing height than the fishingheight of the rails, shims interposed between the ends of the joint bar and the base flanges of the rails, a shim of less length than the joint bar interposed between the medial portion of the head of the bar and the undersides of the rail heads at the ends thereof, and a shim interposed between the medial base portion of the bar and the rail flanges.

4C. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar of uniform height throughout its length having its ends deflected outwardly, and means whereby said bar is supported at its ends upon the rail flanges and whereby the bar medially supports the rail heads at the ends of the latter, said bar having head clearance at its ends fromthe undersides of the rail heads.

5. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar of less fishing height than the fishing height of the rails having head clearance at its ends from the undersides of the rail heads, and a shim interposed between the medial portion of.the head of said joint bar and the undersides of the rail heads at the endsof the latter.

6. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar having head clearance at its ends from the undersides of the rail heads and being in load sup-porting relation medially with the ends of the rail heads, and shims interposed beflanges.

7. In a rail joint, the rails, a. joint bar having head clearance-at its ends from the undersides of the rail heads, and being in .load supporting relation medially with the ends ofthe rail heads, and means whereby said bar is supported. upon the rail flanges at'points spaced from the ends of the rails to provide a clearance space between the bar and the rail flanges at the ends of the rails.

8. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar supi ported outwardly of its medial portion upon the rail flanges and having clearance medially from the rail flanges, said bar having supported upon the rail flanges, said bar.

having head clearance at its ends from the undersides of the rail heads, and a shim. interposed between the medial portion of the head of said bar and the undersides of the rail heads at the ends of the latter.

10. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar of uniform height and section throughout its length and of less fishing height than the fishing height of the rails supported at its ends upon the railflanges and having head clearance at its ends from the undersides of the rail heads, and means whereby'the' rail heads are supported at their ends upon the medial portion of the head of the bar.

11. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar of uniform height and section throughout its length and of less, fishing height than the fishing height of the rails having its ends bowed normally outward and supported upon the rail flanges, said bar having head clearance at its ends from the undersides of the. rail heads, and means whereby the rail heads are supported vat their ends upon the medial portion of the head of the bar.-

12. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar supported outwardly of its medial portion upon the rail flanges and having head clearance at its ends from the rail heads, and a center shim interposed between the medial portion of the bar and the rail heads.

13. In a rail joint, the rails, a joint bar of less fishing height throughout than the fishing height of the rails, said joint bar being supported outwardly of its medial portion upon the rail flanges and having head clearance at its ends from the rail heads, and a centrally located shim interposed between the medial portion of the bar and the rail heads.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CLARKSON A. DISBROW. 

